Shadowbreath Part 4
by She'sLikeTexas
Summary: Doctor Strange uncovers Alex's new ability, and we learn about a key piece of Peter's past


**Note: Doctor Strange uncovers Alex's new ability, and we learn about a key piece of Peter's past**

**Shadowbreath**

**Part 4**

Alex shifted on her feet nervously, trying not to squirm under the man's heavy gaze and failing.

"Stay still, Miss Rogers."

She groaned. "I'm _trying_, Doc, but you're kind of freaking me out here."

The man gave her an unimpressed look and went back to walking a slow circle around her. Thankfully she wasn't the only one uncomfortable. Steve's arms were folded over his chest as he watched the pair from the corner, a scowl maring his features. "How long is this supposed to take, Strange?"

"Well it would certainly go by quicker if I wasn't constantly interrupted."

Alex narrowed her eyes and worried over her bottom lip. "Fine, let's just get this over with."

Doctor Strange stared at her in annoyance for a beat longer before continuing his examination. He raised his hands and drew his fingers in circles, sending sparks of golden light towards her. A few weeks after T'Challa, Okoye, and Shuri had returned to Wakanda, Alex's training took an interesting turn. She had been in Tony's workshop in the Tower, sweating her ass off as she tried to manipulate a piece of steel into a compressed ball when Steve had stomped in, brow furrowed and anxiety radiating off of him in waves.

She completely lost focus on her task, and the metal fell down onto the work table with a heavy clunk. "Is something wrong?"

Steve had shaken his head and placed both hands on his waist before stopping in front of her. "I just got a call from a place called the New York Sanctum." His jaw was tight with distaste. "Apparently, a _magician_ had some kind of 'vision' or 'dream' about you."

Alex frowned. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

The super soldier had shrugged and began to pace across the room. "I have no earthly idea. But they asked if I could bring you by tomorrow so that they could meet you. They want to do some kind of test." Steve had not liked that request one bit. "Tony told me that I could trust the 'Wizard,' but I have no idea what that means. He said that this guy's people were helping out during the Battle of New York, the rest of the Avengers just didn't know about them."

"Sounds like Tony knows a lot more about what's going on in New York than he lets on."

Steve agreed with that. "He told me that there are some secrets that need to stay hidden. If it was important, I know he would tell me. If Tony says that we should trust this guy, then maybe it's okay, but I wanted to talk to you about it first."

So, Alex had agreed. And now she was standing under the scrutinizing gaze of the "Sorcerer Supreme" himself, whatever the hell that meant. His cut goatee reminded him of Tony, but the man's sharp eyes and air of importance was more hostile than the billionaire's. Doctor Strange had explained that one of his sorcerers came to him with a premonition about Alex, and he wanted to see the possibilities for himself.

She hadn't wanted anyone else to worry, so the only people who knew she was here were Steve, Tony, and Peter. The golden sparks shone brightly for a few minutes longer and then sputtered out with a swipe of Strange's hand.

"I believe I have finished my initial examination."

Steve stepped forward, back straightened so that he reached his full, Captain America height. It was meant to intimidate even the deadliest of foes. "And? Did you find what you were looking for? Can we go home now?"

The corner of the man's lips twitched and his weird sentient cape flapped around his back. "I was able to determine a special ability lying dormant within Miss Rogers' personal energy."

Alex popped a brow and took a step back. "What the hell does that mean?" 

Doctor Strange smiled this time. "It means that if you can harness your Chi, then your ability to manipulate water can evolve into a healing apparatus. I can help you with that."

"I don't understand." Steve puzzled.

The sorcerer's face was impassive, but Alex had the feeling that whatever he had to say was important. "With my help, Alex will be able to use a special type of Spirit water to heal even the most fatal of wounds."

She froze, turning the implications of a healing ability around in her head. If Strange wasn't bullshitting them right now, then she might be able to keep the Avengers safe on an entirely new level.

Alex stepped forward, face brimming with determination. "Teach me."

XX

Back at the Tower, Peter was pacing inside the lobby waiting for Alex and Steve to return. When he saw them, his face brightened and his eyes crinkled. "There you are! How did it go?"

She grimaced at Steve before turning back to her best friend. "It went fine, but let's talk about this upstairs. I don't want anyone else to know about it."

Peter nodded warily, and waited until they were alone in his room to ask again. Steve had left to talk to Tony, ending the circle of information there. Alex flopped down against Peter's bed and described what happened at the New York Sanctum while he listened intently perched atop his desk. "That might be one of the coolest things I've ever heard, and Iron Man practically adopted me."

Alex grinned in spite of herself. "Yeah, Yeah. It's going to take a while to figure out, so let's just keep this between you and me, okay? I don't want anyone to rely on me, only for me not be able to actually do anything."

"My lips are sealed." He said, moving his fingers across his lips as if they were a zipper. Alex sighed, relieved that she didn't have to hide something his important from Peter. He wasn't only her best friend, but also the closest thing she had to a brother. They told each other everything and always had each other's back, and this wasn't any different. If she asked him to keep her new ability on the down low, then Alex could trust that he wouldn't say anything.

A knock on the door had them both straightening up. Sam peeked his head in, "Hey rugrats, we're gonna watch a movie. You in?"

The two teenagers grinned at one another. They _never_ missed movie night. Alex scrambled off the bed and followed Sam and Peter into the Common Room, where the Avengers were already scattered around. Clint and Scott were with their families, so their normal spots were conspicuously absent.

Pepper was home at a reasonable hour for the first time in a week, so she was curled against Tony's side on one of the couches, where Steve was making himself comfortable on the opposite side. Sam stretched out across another couch and Wanda and Vision made themselves comfortable sitting on the floor with their backs to Sam.

The most surprising was the occupied loveseat. Alex raised an interested eyebrow towards Peter when she realized that it was James and Natasha cuddled up together, his metal arm draped across the back of the chair. The teenagers kept their grins to themselves though and took their spots next to Steve and Pepper respectively. Eight bowls of popcorn were already placed around the room and blankets were already distributed.

"Alright, Wanda. It's your pick tonight, what are we watching?"

She leaned into Vision's side and smiled knowingly. "It's not another Star Wars movie, that's for sure. I think re-watching the original series four times in the last year is a little too much if you ask me." Wanda tilted her chin up, a bad habit all of the Avengers took after. "F.R.I.D.A.Y., play Tangled, please."

"Tangled?" Steve asked, Alex tucked under his arm with her socked feet resting on Peter's lap.

Sam snickered. "You'll love it, Cap. Heroine with long hair breaks out of her prison? It will be like rescuing Bucky all over again."

Everyone laughed at that, then proceeded to spend the entire movie pointing out more similarities between Repunzel and the Winter Soldier. When Natasha got in on it, James gave her a fake look of betrayal and pretended to get to up to move away from her, but the assassin had laughed, grabbed his metal hand, and pulled him back into the seat.

Alex leaned over to whisper to Steve, "Since when is that a thing?"

He bit the inside of his cheek to keep from grinning too wide. "Not long. Buck took her out a few weeks after T'Challa left."

She hummed, happy that James, who now insisted that she call him _Uncle James_, and that absolutley wasn't going to happen, was able to find the balls to ask Nat on a date. Alex had once asked her why she didn't seem interested in dating, and the assassin had simply smirked at her. "Men who ask without knowing who I am are just looking for another pretty face. When they find out I used to kill people for a living, they aren't usually keen on getting a second date."

She had snorted and went on to say, "I'm a strong woman, Alex, I don't need a man in my life to keep me satisfied."

And wasn't that the truth? Alex looked up to the female Avengers with reverence, and tried to base her actions and decisions on what they would do in her situation. It was one of the reasons Alex didn't date either. If the Black Widow was fine on her own, then she could be too.

Obviously, James Barnes was a brave son of a bitch, and had gone out on a limb to ask the Black Widow on a date. A shovel talk wasn't needed, of course. If he hurt her, Natasha could take care of him herself. She could have the world believing that the Winter Soldier was holed up recovering in Fiji instead of cut up into a thousand little pieces in the Avengers' basement.

Alex wished them a silent good luck. James was going to need it.

XX

"Concentrate, Alex."

"I'm _trying_!" She snapped back at the sorcerer, her temper flaring as she failed for the fifth time that day. Alex released her grip on the water with a frustrated growl and turned away, blatantly ignoring Doctor Strange's disappointed glare.

He sighed and stepped forward to apply pressure on Wong's fresh wound, tying it off to stop the bleeding. The librarian had offered up his services so that Alex could practice her apparent new ability, but they were getting nowhere. She visited the New York Sanctum twice a week with only a few faded cuts and bruises along Wong's arms to show for her efforts.

Alex knocked her head against the darkened wall, eyes squeezing shut as she tried not to let the frustration overwhelm her. Almost three months of practice and she was still just as useless as when they began. After two weeks of producing zero results, she asked Steve to let her just come alone. It was too much pressure to perform while someone so eager was watching.

"This is important, Rogers." Strange persisted again. "You will need to hone this skill to prepare for what's to come."

And wasn't she just so sick and tired of hearing that? Alex spun around and narrowed her eyes at the sorcerer. "And what the hell is coming, Strange? You keep saying that me using the Spirit water is important, but you won't say why!"

He gave her an unimpressed look. The good doctor never rose to her baiting, instead brushing her off with an air of regality. "Time will tell."

She threw her hands up in the air, the chandelier above them swaying from the force. "I'm sick and tired of hearing that!"

"Then you should probably stop asking and focus on your work. It's-"

"-Important, yeah, yeah I _know_." Alex grumbled miserably, reluctantly turning back to let the Spirit water dance between her fingers. She couldn't figure out what her problem was with this damn water. Manipulation wasn't the issue, Alex could make it move just as easily as she could with her other elements. It was that she couldn't actually use it to heal a wound. The liquid would uselessly hover over the cut, and instead of stitching the skin back together, it would just wet it down. It was maddening.

"Have you been studying your material?" He asked incredulously.

She snorted, "You know I have." Doctor Strange insisted that she have a basic understanding of the human body so that she could direct the Spirit water instead of sending it in blindly. It was a stupid question because he quizzed her every time they began a session, and sent her home with more homework and tests than Midtown High.

"Then you aren't connecting with your inner Chi, Alex."

She shoved the heel of her hands over her eyes. "I don't even know what that means, Doc."

He placed a strong hand on her shoulder, but she refused to look up. She was failing. If she couldn't get this right, then whatever Strange was afraid of would come to pass, and she would be no help at all. "It means that you aren't grounded. Healing magic requires the user to be in touch with the world around you. Practice and knowledge will only get you so far."

"What am I supposed to do?" She asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Doctor Strange released her and stepped back, gesturing towards the door. "Take a break. Find something that will ground you to this world. Think back to your childhood, Rogers. Was there nothing that encouraged you to be strong in the face of adversity? Nothing that you used as a beacon as you pushed yourself further than you thought you were able?"

Alex was silent, turning over painful memories and years of practice sessions over in her mind. Finally, she found what she was looking for. She pushed past him, shooting an apologetic grimace towards Wong. "I'll be back."

XX

The cab let her out off on Greenwich street. A light drizzle fell from the darkened sky, just enough to be annoying but not enough to deter her. Hundreds of people milled about, some in their grey business suits and some simply sporting damp jeans. Runners swerved in and out of the crowds with little difficulty.

Alex pulled the thin hood over her hair and stuffed her hands into her jacket pockets. Her yoga pants weren't warm, so she kept her body moving to avoid letting the water seep into her bones. As she approached the memorial, Alex took a few calming breaths. She had only been here a handful of times with Marco, but her visits never failed to put things into perspective.

Though a low fog had settled around her, she could still make out the imposing One World Trade Center just south. As she moved closer, the waterfalls of the memorial muted the sounds of the city, and Alex could _finally_ hear herself think.

She made her way around the pools slowly, carefully avoiding those that were stopped and stuck in contemplative grieving. Alex wasn't sure why she felt so connected to this place, she had only been a few months old when the attacks happened, after all. All she knew was that when she took in the memorial pools and the magnificent skyscraper to the south, she felt grounded. Alex paused in her walk, breathing in the heavy air and letting it fill up her lungs.

"Alex?"

She spun around, eyes searching the scattered crowd. Peter was moving from his spot on a bench directly behind her. Alex furrowed her brow but smiled at him, breaking out of her semi-trance to give him a quick hug and a kiss on the cheek. "What are you doing here?"

He raised a curious brow and rearranged his hood. "I could ask you the same thing."

Alex shrugged, sitting next to him on the short bench. "I'm still having trouble with the Spirit Water. Strange told me to go and find someplace that 'grounds' me. This is where I ended up." She cocked her head to the side, taking in his nervous hands and shifty eye contact. "What's going on with you?"

"Nothing. Just visiting, is all." He said vaguely.

"Why are you being weird?"

Peter scoffed, "I'm not being weird. No weirdness here."

She reached out and took one of his twitching hands, softening her voice. "Peter, what's going on?"

His coffee brown eyes searched hers, and his shoulders sagged when he let out a tight breath. His gaze traveled across the memorial. "I come here sometimes. When I want to talk to my parents."

Alex furrowed her brow. Peter never mentioned his parents. Ever. The only thing that she knew was that they died when he was a baby. He wouldn't even talk about Uncle Ben. "What do you mean?"

Instead of explaining, he stood up slowly, leading her towards the names etched into the bronze parapets. She followed his downcast eye line and stepped back in surprise.

_Richard Parker _

_May Parker_

The waterfalls were suddenly background noise as the blood rushed through her ears. When Alex opened her mouth, her voice was constricted to a harsh whisper. "Your parents passed away on 9/11?"

Peter nodded slowly, never taking his eyes off the parapets. "Tony told me about it a few months ago. It was too hard for May, so I think that's why she and Ben just told me that they died in a plane crash." He gave Alex a little smile when she slipped her arm through his in a show of support. "My parents were on Flight 93, the plane that left Newark and was headed to San Francisco. When the plane was hijacked, they were among the passengers and crew that attempted to regain control of it. During the struggle, the plane ended up crashing into a field in Pennsylvania. The reports say that the hijackers' intended target was the White House in D.C."

She didn't know what to say. Her head spun as she thought about what Peter must have been feeling when Tony told him about his parents. He must have been barely a month old when it happened. "I'm so sorry, Peter."

He bumped her shoulder with his own. "It's okay. They were heroes. I'm proud to be their son."

Alex bit her lip and nodded, cuddling closer to the boy who was like her brother. "You should be, Peter." As her focus slowly faded out from the names, her eyes tracked the movement of the waterfalls up to the lone skyscraper to the south. Her entire body shivered as a rush of calm swept over her. This was what she had been searching for. She was connected to this place, as she had always been. This is where she found her center.

XX

**Note: Thank you to everyone who is following the Shadowbreath series! I saw a theory about Peter's parents after the trailer for FFH came out, and have accepted it as canon (whether or not it actually is ****) But I'm sure you can see where I'm going with Alex's new ability…**


End file.
